Faced with widespread condemnation over the restrictions imposed on Govardhan Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Nischalalananda Saraswati's customary visit to the chariots during this year's Rath Yatra by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the SJTA, in a Press release on Wednesday, said it would hold discussions with the seer to end the impasse.
"The temple administration has the highest regards for the Jagadguru Shankaracharya and respects his authority. It will make sincere efforts to end the impasse by discussing the issue with him at the earliest," the release said.
Besides several political parties coming down heavily on the Government for its audacious stance vis a vis the issue of the Jagadguru's chariot visit, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb have also strongly disapproved of the SJTA's decision and advised the Government to resolve the issue.
The Shankaracharya had refused to take part in the Rath Yatra after he received a "humiliating" letter from the SJTA asking him to climb the chariots all alone without taking any of his assistants or disciples with him. He accused the Government of hatching a "conspiracy" to denigrate his position.
Earlier, the seer on his own had informed the SJTA that he would be accompanied by just two of his assistants while visiting the deities atop the chariots.
Meanwhile, the Puri Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha, the highest advisory body of Shreemandir in the matter of rituals, has also urged the Chief Minister to intervene in the issue of ill-treatment meted out to the Puri Shankaracharya.
"The Jagadguru is not merely a person. He is an institution and has been unilaterally and universally accepted as the decision making authority of our Hindu Religion and, thus, has been vested with some special status also," said Purna Chandra Mohapatra, working president of the Sabha in a statement.
Stating that the SJTA has no power to advise the Shankaracharya vis a vis his visit to Raths, Mohapatra urged the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter personally and settle amicably the whole issue with that of His Holiness the Shankaracharya.
He also urged the Chief Minister to take stringent action against those who 'masterminded' to defame the Shankaracharya.